Digital Commons Network^™

First Report Of The Developmental Changes Inside The Eggs Of The Chinese Freshwater Crab , J Xue, Y Liu, Neil Cumberlidge, H X. Wu

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Leptodactylus Savagei, W. R. Heyer, Miriam M. Heyer, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Adult Leptodactylus savagei are large, the head is as wide as long or usually wider than long, and the hind limbs are moderate in length (Table 1; Heyer and Thompson (2000) provided definitions of adult size and leg length categories for Leptodactylus). Male vocal sacs are not visible externally. Sexually active males have hypertrophied forearms, usually 1 large black spine on each thumb, rarely with 1 large spine and a prepollical bump, and a pair of black chest spines. A pair of entire dorsolateral folds extend anteriorly from at least one_half to full distance from eye to groin, the …

Description Of The Tadpole Of Proceratophrys Renalis (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920) (Anura: Cycloramphidae), Filipe Augusto C. Do Nascimento, Barnagleison S. Lisboa, Gabriel O. Skuk, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

The tadpole of Proceratophrys renalis is described based on specimens from Maceió, State of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil. At stage 35 the body is slightly dorso-ventrally depressed, ovoid in lateral, dorsal, and ventral views. Oral disc is ventral with lateral emarginations, surrounded by a single row of marginal papillae with a large gap on the upper labium. Labial tooth row formula is 2(2)/3(1). The analysis of internal oral anatomy revealed two possible characters that readily distinguish P. renalis from P. boiei, supporting the recent ressurection of P. renalis. Comparisons with available descriptions of the larvae for other species in the …

Relating Surface Backscatter Response From Trmm Precipitation Radar To Soil Moisture: Results Over A Semi-Arid Region, Haroon Stephen, Sajjad Ahmad, Thomas C. Piechota, Chunling Tang

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) carries aboard the Precipitation Radar (TRMMPR) that measures the backscatter (σº) of the surface. σº is sensitive to surface soil moisture and vegetation conditions. Due to sparse vegetation in arid and semi-arid regions, TRMMPR σº primarily depends on the soil water content. In this study we relate TRMMPR σº measurements to soil water content (m(s)) in the Lower Colorado River Basin (LCRB). σº dependence on ms is studied for different vegetation greenness values determined through Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). A new model of σº that couples incidence angle, m(s), and NDVI is used …

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Winter 2010, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Native species interactions with red brome (Bromus rubens), undergraduate and graduate programs at UNLV, what’s growing in the greenhouse?

2000-2009 Population Growth In The Midwest: Urban And Rural Dimensions, Liesl Eathington

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Iowa’s recent population growth patterns have echoed trends across the Midwest, where strong urbanization forces are in evidence. From 2000- 2009, Midwestern population growth has concentrated in and around metropolitan cities, while most rural areas have lost population.

Outside of metropolitan areas, counties with larger cities fared better than their less urbanized counterparts. Proximity to a metropolitan area also bolstered growth or mitigated losses in some nonmetro counties.

States within the region demonstrated some notable differences in their non-metropolitan growth patterns. Missouri and Wisconsin demonstrated more balanced growth across their metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties than other Midwestern states.

Individual state …

Combining A Dispersal Model With Network Theory To Assess Habitat Connectivity, Todd R. Lookingbill, Robert H. Gardner, Joseph R. Ferrari, Cherry E. Keller

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Assessing the potential for threatened species to persist and spread within fragmented landscapes requires the identification of core areas that can sustain resident populations and dispersal corridors that can link these core areas with isolated patches of remnant habitat. We developed a set of GIS tools, simulation methods, and network analysis procedures to assess potential landscape connectivity for the Delmarva fox squirrel (DFS; Sciurus niger cinereus), an endangered species inhabiting forested areas on the Delmarva Peninsula, USA. Information on the DFS’s life history and dispersal characteristics, together with data on the composition and configuration of land cover on the peninsula, …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2010, 130th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twentieth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Chemistry and Physics

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Biological and Medical Sciences

Chemistry and Physics

History and Philosophy of Science

Nebraska Wesleyan University Health and Sciences Graduate School Fair

Junior Academy, Senior High Competition/p>

Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session

Teaching of Science and Math

Maiben Memorial Lecture: Mark Greip, Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Aeronautics

Anthropology

Junior Academy, Senior High Competition

Earth Science

Junior Academy, Junior High Competition

The Impact And Shortfall Of Conservation On The Status Of The World's Vertebrates , M Hoffmann, C Hilton-Taylor, A Angulo, Monica Bohm Phd, Shm Bbutchart, K E. Carpenter, J Chanson, B Collen, N A. Cox, Neil Cumberlidge

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Limnoecological Relationships Between Water Level Fluctuations And Ostracoda (Crustacea) Species Composition In Lake Sünnet (Bolu, Turkey), Okan Külköylüoğlu, Muzaffer Dügel, Muharrem Balci, Azi̇z Deveci̇, Derya Avuka, Mustafa Kiliç

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The ecological characteristics of ostracods in Lake Sünnet were monitored monthly between May 2005 and September 2007; 9 living and 5 subfossil ostracod taxa were recorded. Among the species, Ilyocypris getica was reported in Turkey for the first time, while Stenocypria fischeri was found for the second time in the country in 55 years. The most abundant species, Limnocythere inopinata, was collected in dry and wet months, while I. bradyi was the only species found in only the wet months. The 9 species clustered into 3 groups based on their ecological preference. Species composition and occurrences were closely related to …

First Record Of Five Terrestrial Snails In The State Of Qatar, Jassim A. Al-Khayat

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The present contribution outlines a first record of 5 encountered terrestrial gastropods new to Qatar. The preliminary account of these species and their zoogeographical origins are discussed. The species belong to 4 families: Subulinidae, with 2 genera, Zootecus and Allopeas; Polygyridae, with 1 genus, Polygra; Hygromiidae, with 1 genus, Monacha; and Helicidae, with 1 genus, Eobania.

Critical Comment: What We Don’T Recognize Can Hurt Us: A Plea For Awareness About Cryptic Species, Gerardo Pérez-Ponce De León, Steven A. Nadler

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

We conducted an extensive literature review on studies that have used DNA sequences to detect cryptic species of parasites during the last decade. Each literature citation that included the term ‘‘cryptic’’ or ‘‘sibling’’ species was analyzed to determine the approach used by the author(s). Reports were carefully filtered to retain only those that recognized the existence of cryptic species centered on the use of DNA sequences. Based on analysis of these papers, we comment on the different ways that parasite cryptic species are discovered in studies focusing on different aspects of the host–parasite relationship, or disciplines, within parasitology. We found …

43 | Nahal Haggit: A Roman And Mamluk Farmstead In The Southern Carmel, Jon Seligman

IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

This volume presents the results of three seasons of IAA salvage excavations during 1992–1993 at this farmstead site in the Ramot Menashe region. It was occupied in three phases during the Early and Middle Roman and Mamluk periods. Its first occupants included Jews or Samaritans, as evidenced by miqva’ot. It was abandoned after the First or Second Jewish Revolt, then resettled, possibly by Roman veterans. In the 13th century a small village was established here within the Mamluk-controlled region and abandoned sometime later. The finds include pottery and glass vessels, coins and other small finds.

A Survey Of The Vascular Flora Of Beaufort County, South Carolina, Daniel Payne

All Theses

Beaufort County has historically been one of the most poorly botanized counties in the state. Geographically, it lies farther from the major research institutions than most other counties and has therefore received little attention from modern botanists. Major waterways, numerous private communities and an oppressive summer climate further complicate botanical research. Beaufort has one of the fastest growing human populations in the state. Natural areas are rapidly being converted into residential and commercial developments. An understanding of the county's flora is necessary to focus conservation efforts to preserve critical habitat and develop management plans for maintaining biodiversity. This project was …

Linked Open Social Signals, Pablo N. Mendes, Alexandre Passant, Pavan Kapanipathi, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

In this paper we discuss the collection, semantic annotation and analysis of real-time social signals from micro-blogging data. We focus on users interested in analyzing social signals collectively for sensemaking. Our proposal enables flexibility in selecting subsets for analysis, alleviating information overload. We define an architecture that is based on state-of-the-art Semantic Web technologies and a distributed publish subscribe protocol for real time communication. In addition, we discuss our method and application in a scenario related to the health care reform in the United States.

Saving Saba Bank: Policy Implications Of Biodiversity Studies, Paul C. Hoetjes, Kent E. Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Saba Bank has always been an area of special importance to the neighboring island of Saba in the Netherlands Antilles. Sabans traditionally fished on the Bank as far back as 1907, but increasing foreign fishing pressures on the Bank in the 1970s and 1980s forced many Saban fishermen out. Concerns were compounded by the suspicion that shipping was also damaging the benthic habitat of the bank. Fishery legislation, enacted in 1996, brought an end to unlicensed fishing and established Coast Guard enforcement on the Bank, but also led to protests from neighboring countries that previously fished on the Bank.Research was …

The Impact Of Conservation On The Status Of The World's Vertebrates, Michael Hoffmann, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Ariadne Angulo, Monika Böhm, Thomas M. Brooks, Stuart H. M. Butchart, Kent E. Carpenter, Janice Chanson, Beth A. Polidoro, Jonnell C. Sanciangco

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the …

A New Species Of Echinops (Asteraceae) From Turkey, Cem Vural, Mustafa Kemal Bi̇ter, Mehmet Yaşar Dadandi

Turkish Journal of Botany

Echinops dumanii C.Vural is described and illustrated from Adana province, South Anatolia, Turkey. It is considered to be endemic to Turkey. The morphological differences from the closely related species Echinops phaeocephalus Hand.-Mazz. are discussed. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) threat category and observations on the ecology of the populations are noted. The geographical distribution of the new species is mapped.

Biogeography And Diversification In The Neotropics: Testing Macroevolutionary Hypotheses Using Molecular Phylogenetic Data, Juan Manuel Daza Rojas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lineage diversification in the Neotropics is an interesting topic in evolutionary biology and one of the least understood. The complexity of the region precludes generalizations regarding the historical and evolutionary processes responsible for the observed high diversity. Here, I use molecular data to infer evolutionary relationships and test hypotheses of current taxonomy, species boundaries, speciation and biogeographic history in several lineages of Neotropical snakes. I comprehensively sampled a widely distributed Neotropical colubrid snake and Middle American pitvipers and combined my data with published sequences. Within the colubrid genus Leptodeira, mitochondrial and nuclear markers revealed a phylogeograhic structure that disagrees with …

Unbalanced Nature, Unbounded Bodies, And Unlimited Technology: Ecocriticism And Karen Traviss’S Wess’Har Series, Heather I. Sullivan

Modern Languages and Literatures Faculty Research

While nature is often claimed to be a space of harmonized balance or an antidote to the chaos of the modern world, we need a more grounded assessment of nature as endlessly changing and much less predictable than we like to assume. In this essay, I explore Karen Traviss’ provocative exploration of unbalanced nature and unbounded bodies in her wess’har series with the guidance of two ecocritics who reject the concept of balanced nature, Dana Phillips and Ursula Heise. Additionally, I turn to the environmental philosopher Val Plumwood for insights regarding Traviss’ spurious yet rather standard vision of an unlimited …

Towards A Corporeal Aesthetics Of Plants: Ethnographies Of Embodied Appreciation Along The Wildflower Trail, John Charles Ryan

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper argues for the application of ethnographic practice, specifically participant observation and semi-structured interviewing, in the development of a corporeal aesthetics of flora. The study is characterized as an ethnography of botanists and, building upon emerging work in cultural ecology and human–plant geographies, is situated within the proposed context of cultural botany. During the Southwest Australian spring wildflower season between August and October of 2009 I conducted interviews with professional and amateur botanists, as well wildflower enthusiasts and tourists, at two places of remarkable floristic diversity: the Lesueur-Eneabba region and the Fitzgerald River National Park. Interview transcripts suggest the …

Regeneration And Histological Analysis Of Snake Melon (Cucumis Melo Var. Flexuosus (L.) Naudin) By Direct Organogenesis, Yeşi̇m Yalçin Mendi̇, Selay Eldoğan, Rafael Gutakev, Muzaffer İpek, Pembe Çürük, Seli̇m Çeti̇ner

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In vitro morphogenesis of Cucumis melo var. flexuosus (L.) Naudin was studied by direct organogenesis. Induction of adventitious buds was obtained from distal and proximal parts of the cotyledon incubated on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium containing different concentrations of 6-benzyladenine (BA) (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg L^{-1}) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (0.0, 0.1, and 0.5 mg L^{-1}). The best organogenesis was obtained from the proximal part of the cotyledon on medium containing 0.5 mg L^{-1} BA and 0.5 mg L^{-1} IAA (88%). This concentration was used for histological analysis. Less regeneration was obtained on media containing 1.0 mg …

Understanding The Economic Factors That Impact The Financial Health Of Local Governments, John David Barreca

LSU Master's Theses

The state of Louisiana has been hit by several severe hurricanes in recent years, and these disaster events have placed a financial burden on parish budgets. As such, local governments have been compelled to bear various cleanup and recovery costs in the short and long term. Therefore, this research sought to evaluate the factors that drive the variation in the financial health of local governments in Louisiana. This research made two contributions. The first contribution sought to develop a comprehensive measure of economic activity at the county level, and the second contribution used econometric methods to estimate the effect of …

Three Essays On The Role Of Amenities As An Economic Development Strategy, Junpyo Hong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

It is well known that an amenity is a key driving engine to regional economic growth. However, the site-specific nature of an amenity can characterize them as public goods. Due to this characteristic, local governments have difficulty optimally supplying amenities. This dissertation tries to find relationships between an amenity and economic growth. Three empirical papers comprise the original research in this dissertation. The findings of the meta-analysis in the first essay suggest little methodological diversity exists among researchers linking amenities to economic growth., I do find that employment growth is more likely related to man-made amenities even in research on …

Biodiversity Assessment Of The Fishes Of Saba Bank Atoll, Netherlands Antilles, Jeffrey T. Williams, Kent E. Carpenter, James L. Van Tassell, Paul Hoetjes, Wes Toller, Peter Etnoyer, Michael Smith

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Biodiversity surveys were conducted on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, to assess ichthyofaunal richness and to compare with published surveys of other Caribbean localities. The primary objective was to estimate the total species richness of the Saba Bank ichthyofauna. A variety of sampling techniques was utilized to survey the fish species of both the visually accessible megafauna and the camouflaged and small-sized species comprising the cryptic ichthyofauna. Based on results presented herein, the number of species known on Saba Bank is increased from 42 previously known species to 270 species. Expected species-accumulation curves demonstrate that the current estimate of species richness …

Habitat Correlates Of Jaguar Kill-Sites Of Cattle In Northeastern Sonora, Mexico, Octavio C. Rosas-Rosas, Louis C. Bender, Raul Valdez

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Predation on cattle by the endangered jaguar (Panthera onca) can be a serious ecological and economic conflict. We investigated habitat characteristics of kill sites of cattle in Sonora, Mexico, from 1999 to 2004 to see whether habitat management or cattle distribution could be used as effective nonlethal methods to limit predation. Kill-sites were positively associated with oak, semitropical thornscrub, and xeric thornscrub vegetation types, whereas they were negatively associated with upland mesquite. Sites of cattle kills were also positively associated with proximity to permanent water sources and roads. A model including these relationships fi t kill locations well …

The Effect Of The Study Region On Gis Models Of Species Geographic Distributions And Estimates Of Niche Evolution; Preliminary Tests With Montane Rodents (Genus Nephelomys) In Venezuela, Ali Raza

Dissertations and Theses

Various niche-based techniques exist to model a species' potential geographic distribution in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework. These models compare the environmental conditions of localities of a species' occurrence versus those of the overall study region. In addition to uses in areas such as macroecology and conservation biology, this approach has been applied recently to studies of niche evolution and historical biogeography. Definition of the study region is critical for all of these applications but has not been addressed previously. Here, I examine the effect of changes in the extent of the study region on potential distribution models of …

Using Geographically Structured Evaluations To Assess Performance And Transferability Of Ecological Niche Models For Species With Many Occurrence Records: A Test Using The Caribbean Spiny Pocket Mouse, Heteromys Anomalus, Aleksandarc Radosavljevi

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Geographic Variation In Post-Mating Immune Gene Expression In Drosophila Melanogaster, Cheryl Ann Pinzone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An organism's immune response may vary due to pathogen pressure in its environment, as well as due to interactions with other organisms. These factors, along with geographic rules (i.e. Gloger's rule) may influence the geographic distribution of the immune response within populations of a species. Here we use real-time quantitative PCR to measure the immune gene expression in six populations collected along the eastern U.S. of Drosophila melanogaster after mating. Antimicrobial genes did not show significant differences in expression due to location, whereas we did observe differences in anti-fungal and pro-phenoloxidase (anti-macromolecule) related genes. These differences in anti-macromolecule resistance are …

Golden-Winged Warbler Habitat Model Validation For Northern Wisconsin And Central Minnesota, Alexandra E. Wrobel

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Between 1966 and 2003, the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) experienced declines of 3.4% per year in large parts of the breeding range and has been identified by Partners in Flight as one of 28 land birds requiring expedient action to prevent its continued decline. It is currently being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. A major step in advancing our understanding of the status and habitat preferences of Golden-winged Warbler populations in the Upper Midwest was initiated by the publication of new predictive spatially explicit Golden-winged Warbler habitat models for the northern Midwest. Here, I use …